hey rterry , hope all is well . i just got back from a bear hunt near calgary , canada this past may . i drove across the border with my two hunting rifles . all paper work filled out ahead of time , and signed it in front of the canadian officials . no problem . i asked about handguns/concealed carry permits ( ive carried for years ) . she made a face and said it is pretty much impossible for a canadian ( realistically) and worse for someone coming to canada. my son has been across 8 times over the years , 5 of those crossings , they did a stem to stern search of him and his vehicle . DO NOT go across thinking you wont be searched . it is random , and can land you in jail if they find a handgun . my outfitter/guide ( both canadian ) said it was too much trouble for them to get a handgun license for backup on the bearhunts . my guide used a short ( 16") barreled 30-30 leveraction with iron sights ! my personal experience , coppersmythe.......................

rterry wrote:can you take a pistol into canada if you have a us conceal carry licenses?

Canada does not recognize concealed carry licenses from any US state. It is very difficult to transport a handgun into Canada even if done according to what we call peaceable journey practice (unloaded, locked, cased, out of reach, ammunition stored separately).

Concealed carry in Canada for a foreign citizen is nonexistent. In fact, they recommend that if you are travelling through Canada to get to Alaska, you should ship your firearms via a FFL dealer vs. all the paperwork & hassle required to physically transport the firearm yourself.

Side story: I was once coming back from a day-trip to Ontario, Canada and was stopped & had my vehicle searched by US Customs. They found a stray .22 shell in my trunk along with a pack of firecrackers (that I'd long forgotten were in there). You'd swear that I was transporting a weapon of mass destruction given the response from the customs officials. Do not transport a firearm or ammunition across the border unless you're willing to go through the complete process for legal transportation!